chanting its weird and haunting cry, they made love in the shade beside
the quiet water.
David studied her face as he loved her. She lay beneath him with her
eyes closed, and her dark hair spread in a shiny black sheet upon the
rug. The bruise on her temple had faded to soft yellow and palest blue,
for it was two months since she had left hospital. The white fleck of
the grenade scar stood out clearly against the pale bruising. The
colour rose in Debra's cheeks, and the light dew of perspiration bloomed
across her forehead and upper lip and she made little cooing sounds, and
then whimpered softly like a suckling puppy.
David watched her, his whole being engorged and heavy with the weight of
his love. From above them an errant beam of sunlight broke through the
canopy of leaves and fell full upon her upturned face, lighting it with
a warm golden radiance so that it seemed to be the face of a madonna
from some medieval church window.
It was too much for David and his love broke like a wave, and she felt
it and cried out. Her eyes flew wide, and he looked down into their
gold-flecked depths. The pupils were huge black pools but as the
sunlight struck full into them they shrank rapidly to black pinpoints.
Even in the extremity of his love, David was startled by the phenomenon,
and long afterwards when they lay quietly together she asked, What is
it, David? Is something wrong? 'No, my darling. What could possible
be wrong? I feel it, Davey. You send out the strongest signals I am
sure I could pick them up from half-way around the world. He laughed,
and drew away from her almost guiltily.
He had imagined it perhaps, a trick of the light, and he tried to
dismiss it from his mind.
In the cool of the evening he packed up the rods and the rag and they
strolled back to where he had parked and they took the firebreak road
home, for David wanted to check the southern fence line. They had
driven for twenty minutes in silence before Debra touched his arm.
When you are ready to tell me about whatever is bugging you, I'm ready
to listen, and he began talking again to distract both her and himself,
but a little too glibly.
In the night he rose and went to the bathroom. When he returned he
stood for many seconds beside their bed looking down at her dark
sleeping shape. He would have left it then, but at that moment a lion
began roaring down near the pools. The sound carried clearly through
the still night across the two miles that separated them.
it was the excuse that David needed. He took the five cell flashlight
from his bedside table and shone it into Debra's face. it was serene
and lovely, and he felt the urge to stoop and kiss her, but instead he
called.
Debra! Wake up, darling! and she stirred and opened her eyes. He
shone the beam of the flashlight full into them and again, unmistakably,
the wide black circles of the pupils contracted.
What is it, David? she murmured sleepily, and his voice was husky as he
replied.
There is a lion holding a concert down near the pools.
